Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Complete Week 5 Preview for Jags
The Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4) will welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) in a Week 5 matchup at EverBank Field.
Led by Ben Roethlisberger (96-of-41, 1,092 yards and six touchdowns) and Antonio Brown (29 receptions, 427 yards, five touchdowns), the Steelers feature an offense that ranks fifth in total yards.
On defense—led by veteran linebacker Lawrence Timmons (34 tackles)—the Steelers rank 21st in points allowed and are allowing 352.8 yards per game.
The Steelers are primed for a big game against the winless Jaguars. The Jaguars defense is last in the league in points allowed (38.0) and is allowing 451.2 yards per game.
Despite the addition of Blake Bortles into the starting lineup, the Jaguars offense has also been abysmal. The team is averaging a mere 69.8 yards per game and has only mustered 14.5 points per game, which ranks last in the league.
If the Jaguars want to beat the Steelers at home, they’ll need a more balanced offensive attack. Additionally, they’ll need a porous secondary to step up and make plays.
Hopefully this is the week they break into the win column.
Week 4 Recap
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In their Week 4 matchup the Jaguars were victims of another brutal defeat—this time at the hands of the San Diego Chargers, 33-14.
Despite a valiant effort by rookie quarterback Blake Bortles in his first career start (29-of-37, 254 yards and a touchdown), the Jaguars offense offered Bortles little support. Toby Gerhart led the team in rushing with a mere 32 yards on 10 carries. Meanwhile, the most impressive performance came from tight end Clay Harbor, who managed eight receptions for 70 yards.
Aside from Bortles’ and Harbor’s strong outings, the offense was anemic, mustering only 320 total yards. The offensive line allowed Bortles to be under pressure most of the day, which resulted in three sacks for a loss of 19 yards.
Not surprisingly, it was an even worse day for the defense. Overall the defense allowed 407 total yards, which included a 105-yard and two-touchdown day by Eddie Royal. The Jaguars secondary continued to show it is the weakest unit on the team, as it was consistently shown busting coverage.
Overall, this was another abysmal performance by a Jaguars team that is showing regression from its 2013 campaign. If Jacksonville doesn't right this ship soon, this season could be another wash.
News and Notes
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Marqise Lee out Again
Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com is reporting that Marqise Lee will miss his third consecutive game with a hamstring injury.
Lee has been a bit of a disappointment this season. He was drafted to be a dynamic playmaker but can’t seem to get healthy enough to stay on the field. The hope has to be that Lee’s hamstring isn’t degenerative.
In an interview with Ben Roethlisberger (via ESPN's Scott Brown), Roethlisberger said Blake Bortles was an “impressive young player” and that he thought Bortles was the most NFL-ready quarterback in the league.
This is big praise for a quarterback with only one start under his belt. Predraft analysis compared Bortles to Roethlisberger. If Bortles can become half the quarterback Roethlisberger is, the Jaguars will have done very well for themselves.
Justin Blackmon Is Doing Well
The Associated Press is reporting through ESPN.com that Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon has checked himself into a treatment facility and is doing "well."
This is big news for Jaguars fans. Blackmon is an elite talent at wide receiver but has been plagued by off-the-field issues. Hopefully the Jaguars can bring him back once he’s better, and he can resume what looked to be a promising career.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury | Status |
| Branch, Andre | DE | Hip Flexor | DNP |
| Gratz, Dwayne | CB | Concussion | DNP |
| Lee, Marqise | WR | Hamstring | DNP |
| Shorts III, Cecil | WR | Hamstring | DNP |
| Shuler, Mickey | TE | Illness | DNP |
*All injury updates courtesy of Jaguars.com injury report.
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Matchups to Watch
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Ben Roethlisberger vs. Andre Branch
Andre Branch leads the Jaguars with three sacks, while Roethlisberger has been sacked 12 times already this season. If Branch and the rest of the defensive line can get consistent pressure on Roethlisberger, it could be a big day for the Jaguars.
Toby Gerhart vs. Lawrence Timmons
Ever hear about when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? That’s not the case here.
Toby Gerhart has been putrid this season, lacking any type of rhythm for the offense. On the other side, Timmons has been a tackling machine (34 tackles this season).
Gerhart will have to win some key matchups with Timmons for the Jaguars to keep the pressure off Blake Bortles.
Antonio Brown vs. the Jaguars Secondary
Antonio Brown has drawn a great matchup against a Jaguars secondary that has been torched all season.
The key to the game for the Jaguars is their pass defense. If they can limit the big plays from Antonio Brown, they’ll have a shot to keep it close.
Prediction
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I truly hate to be the eternal pessimist here, but I haven’t seen anything from the Jaguars that would suggest they are going to walk away from this one with a victory. Instead, I like to look at these matchups as barometers of players' development.
I think Bortles will have the opportunity to put up big numbers. Unfortunately, I believe that the secondary will continue to blow assignments and miss tackles, which means a big game for the Steelers offense.
Prediction: Steelers 31, Jaguars 17
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